The ministers of agriculture, trade and finance reached a basic agreement Friday on the need to invoke temporary curbs on surging imports from China of stone leeks, fresh shiitake mushrooms and rushes used to weave tatami.
They stopped short, however, of making a decision to actually invoke the temporary import restrictions. Joined by Foreign Minister Yohei Kono, the three ministers will meet again as early as next week to make a final decision.
Finance Minister Kiichi Miyazawa, Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Takeo Hiranuma and Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yoshio Yatsu discussed temporarily raising tariffs on the three farm products to protect domestic growers from the wave of Chinese imports.